


Cold Water

by decay



Category: Persona 4
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 18:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4360127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decay/pseuds/decay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He never really thought anything of the habit. The cold water helped him think and kept him awake after a long day of fighting Shadows – some leader he’d be if he fell asleep in the shower! The first person to comment on Souji’s habit was Yosuke. </p><p>And this was, of course, after Yosuke had asked him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Water

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [SouYo one year anniversary prompt](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/129173) by linefaced. 



> I haven't written anything or done much with P4 in a long time so I'm sorry in advance! This is also my first work I'm posting to AO3 so I'm sorry about the tags, I'm not sure if I've done them right. D:
> 
> Now that my insecurities are out of the way ...
> 
> This was inspired by linefaced on tumblr's drabble they wrote for the prompt "SouYo one year anniversary (either of marriage or of dating. Whichever you think is more interesting)" linked above, and my time studying abroad in Japan eternally trying to keep my water/electricity bill low! It’s hot as hell here and I got this idea while taking a really cold shower. Also I kinda combined a Japanese and Western bathtub, sorry. D:

Souji was used to cold showers.

Actually, it was more accurate to say that he never took hot ones. Cold water saved money, his parents told him, so he made it a habit – especially since he started living with his uncle. He was far too conscious of the fact that he was living off of his uncle’s hospitality, and was determined to cause the least amount of trouble possible.

But cold showers were good for other things other than saving money, too. Like washing off the sweat from running around in the hot Inaba summer sun, or dealing with the surprise guest appearance of his erection on some mornings.

He never really thought anything of the habit. The cold water helped him think and kept him awake after a long day of fighting Shadows – some leader he’d be if he fell asleep in the shower! The first person to comment on Souji’s habit was Yosuke.

And this was, of course, after Yosuke had asked him out.

Well _, technically_ Souji had made the first move. He smiled as he remembered the time around New Years; the bold decision to give Yosuke a container of chocolates and a note, the small pile of rare mess-ups that he had explained to Nanako with a sheepish laugh, Yosuke running after him and stumbling over a stammered request of clarification. And then he hadn’t heard anything from Yosuke.

Souji had felt their relationship change – there was a bit of hesitancy in Yosuke’s voice when he spoke, and Souji found himself silently adding “partner” to the end of Yosuke’s sentences when he did not. Souji worried. He cleaned, he folded cranes, he sometimes burnt the food he was cooking and had to cook it again. Anything to keep himself busy.

And then, about week later … it had been almost too much to hope for, but he got a text from Yosuke asking to meet him at the riverbank.

He bundled up and saw Yosuke waiting there for him, and even the cold didn’t make his friend’s face _that_ red. Souji must’ve stood there for a good ten minutes waiting for Yosuke to stumble through his sentences and explanations and apologies and _finally_ say, “w-well ... I l-like you too, Souji. Could we … I mean, do you wanna be … you know … _partner_ partners?”

He said yes, of course, and Souji could still remember how face hurt from his grin.

It was one evening when, by some miracle, they had Yosuke’s house to themselves that Yosuke discovered his habit of cold showers.

Of course, he was there because Yosuke had fallen off his bike and managed to tear his jeans and scrape his entire left calf. Souji helped him into his house and to the bathroom, sitting him on the edge of the bathtub as he sat on the toilet behind Yosuke, letting the other boy lean on him to keep his balance. When Souji told him to take off his pants, Yosuke had blushed about fifty different shades of red and nearly hurt himself in the small bathroom before Souji managed to calm him down.

“C’mon, _partner_ ,” Souji said calmly, trying his hardest not to smile at the way Yosuke swallowed and his blush deepened when Souji called him partner. He knew it was unfair, but he couldn’t help it. “We need to clean your scrape before it gets infected.”

“I-I can do it just fine on my own, you know!” Yosuke’s voice raised an octave near the end of his sentence.

Souji just laughed. “The last time I started to leave you nearly lost your balance. I don’t want you to hurt yourself again. Let me help?” He stared into Yosuke’s eyes, gaze unwavering, and cut off the beginning of a stammered protest. “Please?”

Yosuke was quiet for a moment and looked away before looking back at Souji. “Just … don’t laugh at me.”

“I’d never,” Souji promised seriously.

Through their combined efforts, they managed to get Yosuke’s pants off with minimal pain and without further injury, and Souji started the water. When he cupped his hand under it and slowly began to pour it over Yosuke’s scrape, the boy hissed and Souji stopped immediately. “Hurts?”

“Stings a bit, but … that’s _cold!_

“Is it?”

“You can’t tell? Don’t tell me you take showers like this!”

“…”

“… You do.”

Souji frowned, and Yosuke took the opportunity balance himself by putting one hand on Souji’s knee and reaching forward to turn the knobs before pausing. Yosuke sat back again, holding the edge of the tub to keep his balance. “Can you turn on the hot water?”

Souji moved to stand, and then stopped. “Promise not to fall?”

“Yeah, I got it. Just turn it on already!”

With a short chuckle, Souji stood, crossing the room, and pressed the button to turn on the hot water before returning to Yosuke’s side. He was quiet as Yosuke used him to keep his balance again and fiddle with the water. “Is it weird?”

Yosuke stopped and looked at him. “What?”

“That … you know. I take cold showers.”

“No? I guess not.” Yosuke seemed to think for a moment and leaned back against Souji. “It’s just … much more comfortable to take a hot one. Especially when it’s cold outside.”

Souji just hummed and started to rinse Yosuke’s scrape again. He had to admit that the warm water did feel nice on his hand.

About half an hour later, Yosuke’s leg was cleaned, an antibiotic ointment was applied, and it was bandaged. Souji helped Yosuke limp back to his room, and once he had plopped down on his bed Souji checked his phone. It was late.

“I should get back,” he said.

Yosuke checked his own phone and frowned. “Oh man, sorry, partner. I didn’t mean to keep you so long.” He seemed to think for a minute, and then blushed a little, adding, “why don’t you stay the night? I-I mean, you’re already here.”

Souji stared at him. “Are you sure?”

“Y-yeah,” Yosuke said, averting his gaze, “you can … take a hot shower,” he said with a grin, “and then we can play video games or … something.”

They did.

The next time the topic came up was when Yosuke was at the Dojima residence, and he said something along the lines of, “you’re not still taking cold showers, are you? It was way too cold today for that!”

Dojima had happened to hear that, and looked at Souji. “I had been wondering why the bill was so low. There’s no need to hold back; it really has been chilly lately.”

After that, Souji realized that Yosuke was right – hot showers really were better. And he always smiled when he took one – they reminded him of the night Yosuke had scrapped his leg.

\---

March 20th. Yomotsu Hirasaki. Izanami.

Souji should’ve gone back home that day. That was the plan. That was what should have happened.

He can still remember Yosuke rallying the team before the fight, saying, “This is just the send off our leader deserves!”

They saved the world.

He saved his friends from Izanami-no-Okami’s Curse of Death.

He couldn’t save Yosuke.

\---

Their victory was more bitter than sweet. Souji stayed in Inaba for a while longer. Just long enough to attend the funeral.

“Senpai,” Rise’s voice was quiet and soothing at his side, trying to get his attention. He looked at her slowly. The Dojima residence. His friends, in funeral clothes. Save for one. It was quiet. “Senpai,” Rise tried again, “maybe you should take a hot shower. Try to …” she trailed off.

He knew she was trying to be helpful. Souji stood, silently, and walked upstairs. He turned the hot water on.

When he stepped in and turned the shower on, he felt sick. The steam made him gag, the heat burned his eyes. His breaths came laboriously, fast and painful. As if he were breathing through mucus. He shut the water off, feeling the ground slip under him, and sank down before he fell.

Souji took a cold shower.

It hurt.

\---

He smiles again, now. Laughs, sometimes. Stares at a skinned knee for a long time before washing and dressing it. He cooks curry for dinner and chocolates for dessert and listens to Western music one day a year.

He always takes cold showers. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading! I'm really nervous about posting this, but I've found so many great blogs and people from the P4 fandom I really wanted to contribute a bit. I'd love any constructive criticism or comments, if you have the time! c':


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